Immigration

DHS Distorts Law and Precedent to Ignore Glaring Facts on Haiti

DHS on November 20 terminated Haiti TPS effective July 22, 2019, erroneously saying that Haiti had recovered from the January 2010 earthquake. In doing so, it contradicted its own May 24 Federal Register rationale, in which it cited the cholera epidemic and Hurricane Matthew as justifications for extending TPS for six months, by erroneously stating it could not consider those two massive catastrophes in making its decision. This inconsistency betrayed the White House’s anti-immigrant ideological agenda since any honest assessment of conditions would have mandated an 18-month extension. (No one should be fooled by the 18-month grace period, an attempt to sugar coat an unlawful result.)DHS’s decision ignored extensive recent editorial and bipartisan political support for an 18-month extension — editorial boards urged extension 20 times since the Spring, for example — and has been roundly condemned.Four bills are pending in Congress which would enable Haitians with TPS to become permanent residents, although prospects are slim under the current Congress; litigation is also contemplated.DHS on January 18 published a Federal Register notice automatically extending recipients’ work permits to July 21 and giving to March 19 to re-register. The notice’s unconscionable lateness, just four days before the expiration of documents, led to uncertainty, expired drivers’ licenses, and scams; it coincided with Haiti’s removal from the list of countries whose nationals may receive low-skilled workers visas. IJDH’s work remains.See also ReliefWeb; UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA); Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) Haiti page; Food Insecurity after Hurricane Matthew, and Cholera Accountability